Seeds of Fruits and Vegetables
by Nephthys Snape
Summary: Not all of the Tsufurujin were killed. Women were kept for a less than noble reason and now years later these truths come to light as an escaped slave comes to Earth being chased by who knows what.
1. Chapter 1

Several weeks had passed since the Cell Games. Life was slowly beginning to return to some semblance of normal for everyone on Earth; more slowly, of course, for the Z-senshi. Trunks had returned to his own time, leaving Bulma to be ignored by Vegeta as he trained tirelessly in his gravity chamber. She busied herself with her work and helping her mother see to baby Trunks' every need, and then some. She wished Vegeta was more involved with his son, but she also reasoned that Trunks was better off not having the Saiya-jin prince to model his behavior after.

Chi-Chi busied herself with her pregnancy and watching over Gohan. She was silently thankful for Piccolo being there for him, though she would never admit it. Gohan mourned the loss of his father but kept a stiff upper lip as he continued his training only slightly as his mother kept after his studies. For his part, Piccolo kept a close eye on Gohan and Chi-Chi, knowing the woman would need watched over with soon to be two demi-Saiya-jin running around her home. He also kept a close eye on Dende, not that he had much choice, spending much time with him at the lookout. Also being watched by Piccolo, Krillin was slowly starting to grow closer to Eighteen as all the rest moved on with their lives.

It was a beautiful warm day when their lives, namely the Nameks', had a sudden interruption. Dende and Piccolo were gazing down from the lookout watching Earth in silence. Piccolo preferred the silence when he got it as he spent so much of the rest of his time using Kami's memories and knowledge to train Dende in being a proper guardian for Earth. Dende, knowing this, kept quiet so as not to disturb the older Namek. Both of them, however, were startled from their separate musings as something large came crashing through the atmosphere and straight into the earth far below.

Dende looked up at Piccolo in concern. The object had moved too fast for him to see what it really was, the atmosphere having been burning around it. He could also sense nothing from it, which upset him. He had so much to learn and feared he may never grasp all he needed to know. "What..." He started to ask the much larger man.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Before Dende could utter a sound of any kind, Piccolo dove over the edge of the lookout and raced for whatever it was that had fallen from space. He was shocked to find a space pod so very similar to those the Saiya-jins had used to get to Earth nearly seven years before. _'Had it really been such a short time?'_ He shook himself from his musing and slowly approached the pod.

He felt no ki coming from within but there would be no reason for the pod to be there if there was no one inside. Empty space pods did not travel through space. Just as he got a short distance from the pod, the door hissed as it automatically opened just enough for the occupant to shove it the rest of the way or someone to pull it open from the outside. Piccolo waited just incase it was the occupant and not himself that had triggered the door's actions.

After several moments no one had made a sound or moved to open the door further. He could only surmise it had reacted to his presence or a preprogramed command. Curiosity got the better of him and he reached forward and wrenched the door off the pod violently. Inside, bloody and unconscious, lay what appeared to be a humanoid. He had no doubts by the smell the alien was at least part Saiya-jin but the smell was not quite right. _'But where did it come from and why now? Why here?'_ He reached inside and grasped the figure's arm, perhaps a bit roughly, to shake it awake. He received no response.

Slowly, and against his better judgement, he picked the alien up and headed back to the lookout. He silently cursed Nail or Kami, or both as he figured was the case, for making him soft enough to be seeing to the almost dead alien when he had no way of knowing it was not a threat to them all. _'Look at the condition. Would you really expect any danger from someone in that condition?'_ But he also knew that Saiya-jins and those partial Saiya-jins grew stronger after being beat near to death.

Dende was shocked to see Piccolo arrive with the figure in his arms. "What happened?" He moved forward to help, everything in his being calling him to do so. He could tell that whoever, whatever, the figure was, they were in serious need of healing. "Follow me." The small Namek said, taking some of the control he so rarely displayed. He missed the proud look on Piccolo's face as he rushed off, summoning Mr. Popo to aide them.

Piccolo grunted glad to be having the problem off his hands as much as he was to see Dende taking over. The young one had hope yet at being a grand guardian. He followed along behind the young guardian with a small, proud smirk.

"Any idea who he is?" Dende asked as Piccolo laid the figure down. He looked over the alien. The figure had dirty, tangled, bloody hair that was matted around the face, neck, and shoulders giving the honey locks a nasty, dingy look. The body was in the typical armor plating worn by Saiya-jins and followers of Frieza and his 'esteemed' family. The armor was cracked and highly damaged. The suit underneath seemed unusually thin and sheer, not covering much of the body within. Also unusual was a green choker like collar around the neck.

"No." The large Namek eyed the prone form. "Smells like a Saiya-jin half-breed of some sort. The smell is similar to Gohan and Trunks but there's nothing human about this creature."

"Half-Saiya-jin?" Dende asked as his eyes traveled over the form again. He and Popo began cleaning the diminutive alien once the genie arrived. "Who did this to him?" He asked more to himself than the others.

"Yes," Piccolo answered the first question. "But, I can't identify what else. I'm getting his royal pain-in-the-ass. If anyone would know it would have to be him." Piccolo did not look thrilled with the idea of getting Vegeta. In truth, he was not. He could only imagine how difficult Vegeta was going to make things.

Dende smirked at Popo as Piccolo turned and left. Popo smiled back, working on disrobing and washing their guest. The worse of the wounds he took extra care with. As he removed the armor Dende saw they were not working with quite the alien he thought. "Oh!" Dende exclaimed as they worked. "I had thought..."

"The armor hid her gender well," Popo agreed. He carried away the dirty tattered armor and clothes. He returned with additional rags and water as well as a robe. "I will see if Master Korin has any beans. The collar refuses to come off. I saw no means to remove it."

"Thank you, Mr. Popo." Dende nodded to the genie. He listened to him patter off as his small hands worked on cleaning the wounds further. Once she was completely clean, he began to heal the more minor of her wounds before starting on the worse ones. He hoped Korin had some senzu beans. While he could heal her, he knew it would take a great deal of his own energy as well as her will. Something told him that she did not wish to live.

Vegeta felt Piccolo coming long before the demanding pounding on the door of his gravity chamber. At first, he figured on ignoring it but it soon drove him mad. He could not let anything distract him from his training. One day he knew he would still have the chance to best Kakarrot. Growling loudly, he shut down the machine and stormed out. "What the _hell_ do you want, _Namek_?" He roared at the tall green alien.

Piccolo snarled at him before answering. "A pod crashed with some Saiya-jin half-breed about half an hour ago. I though the great prince might be interested in knowing," he sneered. Vegeta irritated him greatly at times. His current petulance made this time one of those.

"What the hell are you going on about, baka?" Vegeta growled irritably. The damn Namek was making no sense. Surely he would have felt something if what he said was true. _'Besides, where would a half-breed have come from?'_ "I have felt noth..."

"Dammit, Vegeta, I would not be here wasting my breath on you if I wasn't sure about this," Piccolo cut him off with a snarl through his teeth.

"This I must see." Taking off before he realized he had no idea where he was going. "Come on, _baka_!" He roared in irritation.

Piccolo growled and caught up to the irate prince. He swiftly led the way back to the lookout wishing he had someone else to ask about this than the overly irritating Saiya-jin.

After healing a handful of her wounds, Dende was startled back as she stirred and sat up. Her eyes, which he discovered to be a dead golden brown, widened as she took in her surroundings and state of undress, though she made no move to cover herself. "**Where am I?**" She asked in a language Dende did not understand, her foreign tongue.

Before he could answer, Piccolo walked in. Her eyes watched him, took him all in as she had Dende and everything around them. However, when Vegeta walked in with his foul mood apparent, she literally fell over herself to get on her knees, face to the floor.

Vegeta froze, eyes on her. The rich green collar was a sharp contrast to her paleness. He sneered at the huddled, cowed form. "Toss it back where you found it. Better yet, toss it in the ocean and let it drown."

"Vegeta?" Piccolo questioned. He knew Vegeta was a bastard, had always known it, but this surprised him.

"She needs help. No one is harming her more!" Dende informed them with more strength and confidence than he felt. He tentatively moved to stand before her, between she and Vegeta. Vegeta scared the hell out of him but he would not let him harm her.

Mr. Popo walked in just then. He took in the scene in shock. "What's going on?" He looked amongst them. He then moved to Dende when no one answered, handing over a senzu bean.

"Thank you, Mr. Popo." He turned to the young woman on the floor. "You need to..." Before he could complete his statement, Vegeta had moved to his side and snatched the bean away. Dende gasped and backed away quickly.

"Stay away from him, Vegeta," Piccolo warned in a low, cold hiss. The prince could threaten the half-breed all he wanted, but he would be damned if he harmed Dende.

Vegeta sneered at Piccolo before hauling the female up by the back of the collar, choking her. She made no move to stop him or sound of protest. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"Stop!" Dende cried making to move forward again. Mr. Popo stopped him. Dende turned pleading eyes on Piccolo. "Piccolo..."

"Put her down, Saiya-jin." Piccolo moved toward Vegeta. He could not take the look in Dende's eyes. They reminded him of Gohan's when the boy had been younger.

The female was confused and the lack of proper oxygen was not helping her mind. Why were these people, whom she did not know the races of, standing up to Prince Vegeta? Why was he allowing them insolence? Where was she anyhow? Vegeta was suppose to be dead.

"This trash does not concern you." Vegeta hefted her a little higher, cutting off more air. She felt the world spin and watched it go black from the edges in.

"Put her down!" Piccolo roared as he knocked bodily into Vegeta causing him to lose grim on the female alien.

Vegeta shoved back, sending Piccolo flying back. He ignored the Namek's glare. "See this?" He grabbed the young woman's collar again but did not lift her all the way off the ground. "She's a slave. The daughter of a whore and one herself. Her only purpose in life is to serve her superiors in whatever sick way they want." He sneered down at her. "First, it was just our race that subjected the few remaining of her mother's people. We killed all the males that survived and kept the women as slaves. Eventually, once we worked for Frieza, the slaves served his officers as well."

"Sex slaves?" Piccolo asked. He was looking at Vegeta like the prince had grown an extra head. _'She's a sex slave?'_ The whole thing was outrageous!

Vegeta ignored the Namek warrior. "Who was your master? Why are you here?" He snarled at her. '_More important is how she got away and who's following her.'_

She did not look up from the floor as she answered, again speaking in her native language, "**First Master Zarbon, heinous. Then I was for Lord Kooler.**" She tried to shrink on herself. "**I... I ran, heinous.**" She waited for the striking blow. She knew the penalty for running.

He regarded her, calculating. "Explain," he barked. Slaves rarely fled because they knew the punishment.

"**Lord Kooler wished... was going to make me... He was going to force me to incubate an heir.**" The disdain and abhorrence lacing her voice was not lost on Vegeta though it was barely noticeable. She had tried to mask it. He could also hear the fear. What of her blood that was Saiya-jin screamed at the affront to her pride. Not only at being chosen to help further Kooler's line but also at being a slave.

Vegeta hummed in thought. _'How unusual. They usually do not exhibit any traits of their fathers.'_ "You will be followed." Of that he had no doubt. At least one warrior would be sent after her. They would not want her back, perhaps, unless there was some bigger reason Kooler had chosen her. She would more than likely be killed.

"**Yes**," she agreed. Something in her eyes flashed. She had already fought to get this far. She was not going to give in just yet. Not to them, at least.

Vegeta tossed her down at Dende's feet. "You want her to live. You protect her." He turned and left. He had no reason to get involved unless whomever came to get her would be a problem. He would up his training, just in case, but he doubted anyone out there could be a proper challenge for him. _'Except Kakarrot and his brat.'_

"Mr. Popo, could you get another..." Dende started to ask the genie.

"I'll go," Piccolo offered knowing he could do so quicker than the genie. He left them to retrieve another bean. He also wanted to think on the conversation he had not fully understood. He needed to learn this language or start reading her one.

"Let me help you," Dende spoke softly to the female alien. He took her arm in his small hands and helped her to stand as best he could. She was about the same size as Vegeta, only a bit smaller, but he was still smaller than she was, slightly.

She looked at him in shock at his actions, at his voice. "**Why?**" Why was he acting so nice, caring for her in such a way? What were his motives?

"I'm afraid I don't understand you," he apologized. With Popo's help, he moved her back to the bed. "Let me help you into this." He held up the robe. "No need for you to be unclothed. I'll ask Piccolo to see about you some clothes of your own. I'm afraid the ones you came in were ruined beyond repair." He chattered away as he saw to her. Happy to see her relax some under his care.


	2. Chapter 2

For several days, Dende kept a close eye on the female. He could still not understand anything she said, but he and Popo were beginning to understand a crude sign language she had taken to using. Piccolo seemed to know what she required without word or motion, despite his lack of contact with her. She only ever tried to communicate when they sought her out, spending virtually no time with Piccolo unless Dende asked him to join them and he accepted. She tried to avoid time with all of them. Her days consisted of eating, sleeping, and sitting in the room Dende had provided her with while she stayed on the lookout.

Dende was concerned by this behavior and decided to ask Piccolo's advice, or at least tell him what he needed help with. He could only hope the large Namek would help him. He found Piccolo meditating, as usual. "Piccolo?" He approached cautiously. The large man could get very agitated when disturbed.

"What is it, Dende?" His eyes did not open as he spoke. He had been waiting on the boy to seek him out. Silently, he had watched from the sidelines as the young Namek had tried to help the female. He knew eventually Dende would ask advice.

"When are you going to see Gohan?" Dende could think of only two people that could really help. While he would rather seek Bulma's aid, the fact that Vegeta was so prevalent in her life kept him from doing so. That left Chi-Chi. He knew the chances were slimmer that she would assist but if Piccolo could get Gohan to talk to his mother... He hoped the woman's maternal instincts would kick in and help a stranger.

Piccolo opened his eyes. "I don't know." He had not been expecting that question. 'Piccolo, what do you think should be done?' was more along the lines of what he had been expecting to hear. "Why?"

"Only Bulma and Chi-Chi will be of much help at this point. Eighteen is not quite humanized enough to be of assistance," Dende explained. "I thought you could speak with Chi-Chi and..."

"What!" Piccolo stood as he stared at Dende with wide eyes. The boy had lost his mind. He was not going to go talk to the demon spawn, though she referred to him as such, for help. "Ask her yourself, kid. No way in hell I'm doing it."

Dende blinked innocently. "I can't unless you bring her here, which means you would have to ask her to come."

Piccolo stared at him in shock then smirked. He put his hand on the kid's head. "You're getting the hang of this guardian thing already. As manipulative as Kami already." He rubbed Dende's head and tweaked one of his antennae in a rare show of affection. "I'll talk to Gohan."

"Thanks!" Dende hugged him tightly before going off. He would check in on the female then see to some things around the lookout.

Piccolo shook his head. '_What the hell have I got myself into now?'_ He sighed and decided to get things over with sooner than later. He quickly made his way to Gohan's house. He stayed in the air for a moment accessing the situation. Chi-Chi was busy in the back yard hanging up laundry. Gohan was in the house, and he had no doubt the woman had a ton of books piled in front of him.

Chi-Chi about jumped out of her skin when Piccolo landed behind her. "Do you mind!" She shrieked at him, glaring a million daggers as her hand clutched her middle. "What do you want? Gohan is **_studying_** and you are not taking him off somewhere!" She poked him in the chest.

Piccolo could never cease to marvel at the nerve and guts of the woman. She let pushing Goku around go to her head. He ground his teeth together. "I'm not taking him anywhere, woman!" He growled at her before walking passed her.

"Stop right there!" Chi-Chi took after him. "You aren't disturbing him either, demon spawn!" She grabbed his arm only to find that did little good. So, she wrapped herself around it and dug her heels in the ground.

Piccolo growled and almost knocked her down before he remembered she was not only Goku's wife, Gohan's mother, but also carrying a child. He ground his teeth again. _'Dende, you owe me so big for this.'_ "Fine. You are the one I really need to talk to." He turned and towered over her. She stared back, hands on hips, unimpressed. _'Damn infuriating woman.'_ "Dende needs help with a female we found a few days ago."

She looked at him blankly. "What?" He made no sense to her. Why would the little demon spawn need help with a female? He was just a baby... "What are you talking about? And we don't appreciate the female thing," she informed him curtly.

"I don't know her name. She's an alien. A Saiya-jin half-breed of some sort. She won't come out of her room." His patience, always a thing in small supply, was slipping. Why did he have to do this again?

"What! Another Saiya-jin? Where did she come from?" Was she going to try to kill everyone the way that baka Vegeta had?

"She's an escaped sex slave from what Vegeta said," he answered simply.

**_"What!"_** Chi-Chi felt feint, swaying slightly. She did not notice at first that Piccolo hand put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Look, just come and see if you can help the kid out, alright." He did not phrase it as a question, more like a command - a very frustrated command.

"Piccolo!" Gohan called as he came into the back yard. "What are you doing here? What's wrong, mom?" He noted his mothers frazzled state and the fact that Piccolo was holding her up.

"Dende's requested your mom's help with something," Piccolo answered simply. He had no wish to go into the full details with Gohan. He was still a boy. The fact that Dende had to know it all did not sit well with him, but a guardian had to be aware of everything.

"What's he need her help for?" Gohan looked up at him puzzled, curious.

"Not a word!" Chi-Chi shrieked, covering Gohan's ears. "He doesn't need the details about the woman!" She never thought about the fact that her voice could carry passed her hands.

"What woman?" Gohan looked up at Piccolo in question. "Why would Dende need help with a woman? Can I do anything to help?" So innocent even after defeating Cell. He was a lot like his father.

Piccolo smirked at Chi-Chi. "What you get for having such an annoying and loud voice." Her voice, when loud and shrieking, went straight into his ear drums and stabbed his nerve endings.

"Who asked you!" She shrieked again. Piccolo was standing on her last nerve. The feeling was mutual. Chi-Chi did not understand why Piccolo had to be her son's best friend/mentor. Piccolo wondered why she had to be the boy's mother.

"Mom, calm down. Let's go see Dende to see what is going on." He looked up at her with his father's innocent and earnest expression. "Please?" He added for good measure.

Chi-Chi looked at him with her stern maternal look for about thirty seconds before crumbling. "Alright, Gohan." She turned to Piccolo. "But no mentioning of what she use to do!" She poked him in the chest with a pointed finger.

"Very well. I won't say a word." He had already had no intention of telling Gohan, but he was not going to give the woman the satisfaction of telling her that. "Let's go." He wrapped his arms around Chi-Chi without thought and took to the air. Only when she squealed in his ear did he think about it. "Woman!" He growled down at her.

"A little warning next time! Why couldn't Gohan..." She cut off at the look Piccolo was giving her.

Because I know just how many I'm carrying. He answered. "I've got you now so don't bitch about it." He headed for the lookout, leaving Gohan to follow. The boy did so, watching his mentor and his mother curiously. He sensed he had missed something.

Dende was awaiting them when they arrived at the lookout. "Thank you, Miss Chi-Chi, for coming." He smiled at her kindly. "Did Piccolo tell you about the situation?" He sounded much older than he was, than he looked, in Chi-Chi's opinion.

"In part. And not a word in front of my Gohan!" She added the last loudly, making Dende cringe as it hit his ears.

"Of course," he agreed. He motioned her to follow him, leading her inside and down a few halls to where the female spent all her time. "She's just inside." His little hand opened the door as he motioned Chi-Chi in.

Inside, the female sat on the bed like a statue. Her eyes were fixed on the wall opposite her but jerked up as they entered. She stood quickly at the entrance of a new person, eyes downcast. She did not know this woman or her purpose for being there but she was not about to invoke any wrath from any of them, not when it would do her little good to fight back. She had been lucky before.

Chi-Chi gasped. "She's a baby!" She rounded on Dende. "A child! How could they have done such things to a child!" Chi-Chi was outraged and Dende's ears were paying the price. She quickly turned back to the female. "You poor thing!" She rushed forward making over her as though she had known her all her life.

The girl had no idea what to do or how to react to the actions of the woman. She looked to Dende but he seemed satisfied. Her eyes then moved to the door. The loud woman was not hurting her but this attention was foreign. She did not know if she should flee or see what the woman was up to. Figuring that the large green one was outside somewhere close, she decided to take her chances with the little green one and the loud woman.

"Oh you poor thing. We'll go see Bulma and everything will be alright. Between the two of us we'll have you fixed up." Chi-Chi spoke gently, the loudness gone for sympathy. "Get the demon spawn," she spoke to Dende without turning around.

"I think it would be best to bring Bulma here. Vegeta is violent toward our guest," Dende explained. "Or he was when he was here before."

"What! That vile contemptuous man!" She shrieked so loud Dende had to clamp his hands over his ears.

The young girl noted that the loudness hurt the little green one. He had been awfully kind and was just a child, not much younger than herself really. She placed a tentative hand on the woman's arm. She was shocked by the concerned kind expression that was turned on her. "**You are hurting him**_,"_ she tried in her own tongue. The obvious confusion from Chi-Chi was apparent. She motioned to Chi-Chi's mouth then mimicked covering her ears motioning to Dende. The puzzled look Chi-Chi gave her made her pause then she covered her ears again and made a face of pain.

"What is she going on about?" Chi-Chi asked Dende a bit sharply. "Can't she speak like us?"

"No, she can't or at least won't. She's trying to tell you that your loud shrieking hurts my ears, I think. It's the first concern she's shown for anyone, including herself." He turned. "I'll ask Piccolo to retrieve Bulma. I only hope Vegeta doesn't follow them. That's why I didn't ask her to begin with." He left the two females alone, knowing full well Piccolo would not be happy about being errand boy again. Maybe he could send Gohan...


	3. Chapter 3

Piccolo knew by the look on Dende's face as he returned to them that he wanted something that he knew Piccolo would not be too keen on. "What is it Dende? Why am I not going to like it? Did that shrew... er..." He cut himself off at remembering Gohan was beside him. "Did Chi-Chi do . . . need something?" He cast Gohan a look out of the corner of his eye, but the boy did not seem phased by his slip of tongue.

"She wants you to get Bulma," he answered. He waited for the vein in Piccolo's head to start throbbing as it did when he was highly annoyed. The way it had been throbbing when he arrived with Chi-Chi and Gohan.

Piccolo gritted his teeth and forced air out through them in exasperation. "Of course she does. One shrieking harpy isn't enough."

Gohan chuckled. "No wonder you never mention having a girlfriend. You can't stand women."

That statement earned him a cuff on the head from Piccolo. "Can it, kid." He smirked at him. "If they don't shriek and harp like your mom and Bulma... Besides, I don't think Nameks were meant to be with others species."

"Because there are female Namekians?" He asked pointedly.

_'Smartass,'_ Piccolo thought with a smirk. So much for not talking about such things in front of Gohan. "Asexual, kid, remember. We spit up eggs." He smiled at him. He was wearing off on the kid. "I don't have the time for a mate." He was slightly amused by the light pink shade Gohan's skin had turned. Chi-Chi was going to kill them if she found out about this conversation and it was not even detailed.

"We can be with other species. I'm not sure if we can breed with them or not, though," Dende stunned the two of them. "But Nail knew that." He looked up at Piccolo. "Didn't he?"

Piccolo sighed and nodded. "Yeah, kid, he knew. Guess I'll go get the harpy." They could both tell he really did not wish to do so.

"Perhaps Gohan can get her?" Dende offered as a solution. He had already asked Piccolo to do one thing he did not want to do. He really did not want to ask him to do more, and he knew Gohan would not mind at all.

"Sure!" Gohan perked up. "I haven't seen Bulma in a while and I can look in on baby Trunks!" He grinned at them both. "I'll be back in no time!"

"Don't let Vegeta give you a hard time." Piccolo ruffled his hair. "Just tell Bulma that your mom and Dende need help with a project. I'm sure she'll take the break from her work to find out all about it if it has them working together and your mom away from pushing your studies."

"Good thinking, Piccolo!" He grinned again, just like his dad, and took off to get Bulma. He knew that her curiosity would get the better of her as it always did. He just hoped she did not ask questions he had no answers to. Piccolo had been holding back on telling him everyting. He just knew it. Sometimes they treated him like such a baby. If he was old enough to defeat Cell, fight all the times he had to protect what they held dear, he could be treated older. They could trust him to handle more.

Bulma was growling at some training robots Vegeta had yet again thrashed when Gohan finally found her. He had searched at least half of Capsule Corporation in looking for her, had seen baby Trunks, and been fed well by Mrs. Briefs. "There you are, Bulma!" He greeted warmly.

Bulma jumped into the air at his unexpected voice. "Geez, Gohan, a little warning." She glared at him for all of two seconds before smiling. "What brings you by, kid? I'm surprised Chi-Chi let you away from the books."

"That's why I'm here. She and Dende need your help with something. I don't know any details," he added quickly before she started firing away with the questions. Once she got started it would take her forever to get finished.

"Your mom and Dende?" Bulma was amazed. "What could they possibly be doing **_together_**, let alone need my help?" She eyed him. "You have to know a little bit about it. Come on, spill, Gohan." She moved toward him almost predatorily.

He waved his hands in front of himself. "Alright! Alright!" He had no doubts to the lengths she would go to get the least amount of information. "All I know is some alien crashed here a few days ago and Dende needed mom's help. I'm not all that surprised Vegeta didn't mention..." He trailed off at the look on her face. His diversion had worked. She was now upset with Vegeta instead of hounding him. Besides, he could feel Vegeta coming down the hall. He would get there before her mind diverted back to the other topic.

"Vegeta knows about it! Why does no one ever tell me anything!" The last was loud enough to make Gohan cringe as well as Vegeta as he walked in.

"What are you screaming about, onna? Are my robots fixed yet?" He eyed Gohan. "Kakarrot's brat. What do you want?"

"Vegeta!" Bulma rounded on him so fast he backed up a step in surprise. Her voice really could hurt, almost as bad as Kakarrot's onna. He idly wondered what nonsense had set her off this time. "Why didn't you _tell me_ some alien had crashed on Earth!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "Just some escaped sex slave of very low birth. She's of no matter. About those robots..."

"No matter! You are such an ass, Vegeta! Out! Out outoutoutoutoutOUT!" She pointed to the door in a huff. She really wished it would do some good to smack him. She should send Chi-Chi and her skillet after his ass.

Knowing there was no reasoning with the stupid onna at the moment he growled and left. If they wanted to waste their time on the stupid slave, let them. He might even get a laugh out of the whole thing. He would have to follow them and observe, even if they did not want him to. Who were they to tell him where he could or could not go.

"Take me to them. Now, Gohan." Bulma was in a foul mood. Vegeta had a way of bringing that out in her faster than everyone and everything else. She had no idea why she was with him. _'Because he's great in bed and no one will mess with you because of him.'_ She sighed as she and Gohan walked outside. _'Not that he would actually protect you from anyone. If only Yamcha had been more reliant and stuff.'_ "Sorry about snapping at you, Gohan." She saw he had grown very quiet. "Vegeta just aggravates me."

"Do you love him?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her and took to the air. He flew slowly to accommodate her. He often wondered if there was anything besides Trunks between them.

"I... I don't know. I'd like to think I do." Her face grew thoughtful. "I just don't know." Did she love him? She just was not sure. She would have to think about that innocent question, realizing it had always been in her mind as well.

"Well, he's following us." Gohan gave her a small smile. "We best not talk about it any more."

"That... that..." She growled really loud. "ASS!" She screamed behind them, causing Gohan to cringe yet again. "Sorry," she apologized when she realized she had screamed right in his ear, getting mad at Vegeta for making her. Or he had in her mind.

He chuckled. "It's okay, Bulma. I'm sure he heard you." The rest of the trip was made in silence, as they both stuck to their own thoughts.

Bulma sighed once her feet hit the lookout. "I really hate flying like that," she muttered. She looked around for Chi-Chi and Dende, spotting only Piccolo, whose eyes were behind her. _'On Vegeta no doubt.'_ She cocked her head. _'It's amazing how similar they are.'_ She shook her head. "Alright, where are they?" She marched up to Piccolo, getting only a half second glance down from him. He grunted and jerked his hand toward the lookout. "Gee, what a load of help you are!" She yelled up at him, throwing her hands up before storming inside. _'Men! I swear he and Vegeta can go screw themselves!'_

The picture that put in her mind made her stop short then bust out laughing. The noise drew Mr. Popo to her. "Is something the matter, Miss Bulma?" He asked in concern. Her laughing was most unnatural.

"No, no. Everything is fine." She wiped her eyes. "Can you show me to Dende and Chi-Chi, please?" She fought to catch her breath. If only she could have shown Piccolo and Vegeta the image in her head and saw their reaction. _'They would have killed me over and over again.'_ She reasoned to herself.

"Right this way, Miss Bulma." He headed off down the hall, Bulma right behind him, showing her quickly to the female's room. "Here you are." He smiled at her before shuffling off.

Bulma entered expecting all numbers of things but the small girl sitting on the bed beside Chi-Chi was not any of them. "She's a baby!" She shrieked, moving immediately to the girl's other side. "You poor thing." She brushed back her hair gently. The girl was barely older than Gohan, if she was.

The girl had no idea what to do now with the two of them sandwiching her. Was one woman not enough? What did they want from her? Obviously they did not want her... services. She looked from one to the other then to the little green one across the room. She hoped her questions were in her eyes as she could not speak them where he would understand.

"They want to help you, like Popo and I." He smiled at her. "I'll leave you all alone." He toddled to the door and left the three females alone.

The girl looked between Chi-Chi and Bulma again. She did not know what to do, how to communicate. She had no idea what they intended to help her with, what she needed help with. Nor, did she know why they continued to treat her as they did. Their behavior was so... odd. She resigned herself to this new fate. It had to be better than what she had left, didn't it?


End file.
